Flier construction



Sept. 27, 1949. M. J. M HALE FLIER CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 18, 1947 FIG. 5

MICHAEL J. McHALE INVENTOR.

BY I;

FIG.

FIG. 4

Patented Sept. 27, 1949 FLIER CONSTRUCTION Michael J. McHale, Scranton, Pa.

Application February 18, 1947, Serial No. 729,243

8 Claims.

My invention relates to fliers of the type used with spinning machines and the like, and more particularly to an improved unitary flier block arrangement having means for attaching and supporting the flier wires.

Heretofore it has been proposed to provide flier blocks comprising a plurality of separate parts or elements, constructed and arranged to interlock whereby to form a complete block. In Patent 2,187,862, for example, issued to me on J anuary 23, 1940, there is disclosed a flier construction having a flier wire support member'in the form of a plate adapted to fit over the head portion of the flier body or block, the plates being attached to the flier body by means of a cap positioned below the plate and attached thereto by spot welding; also in Patent 2,212,299 issued to me August 20, 1940, there is disclosed a flier construction for a lo'i-partite flier wire support member in the form of complementary sections having semi-circular cut-out portions adapted to seat in a peripheral groove at opposite sides of the flier block. The arms, defined by the cutout portions, are adapted to overlap and means are provided for engagement with the peripheral flanges of the block whereby the sections of the flier wire support are securly clampd or locked to the flier block.

The present invention relates to a flier of the general type disclosed in the aforementioned patents and more particularly to a unitary molded plastic flier block having means for attaching and supporting a flier wire in operative position thereon. After considerable research and experimentation, I have found that the flier constructions of the type disclosed in my prior patents, and other constructions exemplified by prior art arrangements comprising multi-part blocks, can be substantially simplified to provide improved operation with marked economies in manufacture.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved flier block.

Another object of my invention is to provide a unitary molded plastic flier block.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a balanced unitary molded plastic flier block.

Still another object of my invention is to pro vide a unitary molded plastic flier block having a flier wire support and means to attach a flier wire thereto. 7

A further object of my invention is to provide a unitary molded plastic flier block constructed and arranged whereby the arms of. the flier wires are supported in a fixed plane in the vicinity of their points of attachment to the flier block.

With these and other objects in view, which may be incident to my improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to be hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements, comprising my invention, may be varied in construction, proportions and arrangement,

without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect, without limiting the improvements in their useful applications to the particular constructions, which for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational View, partly in section, showing my improved flier in operative in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the flier shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 is a sectional View along line 'l-'! of Fig. 3.

The improved construction of the present invention comprises essentially a molded plastic flier block comprising a centrally apertured body having base and head portions, 9. flier wire support member having flier wire retaining means at the ends thereof, an off-set foot formed on the base, adapted for insertion into the head of a bobbin, and a peripheral flange between the foot and flier wire support, the flange functioning to define, with the wire support, a flier wire receiving groove, and to balance centrifugal forces generated by the off-set foot, when the block is rotated.

v.As heretofore indicated, after considerable re- I search and experimentation, I have found that 3 ates, are peculiarly suited as a material for flier blocks.

It will be appreciated that operational requirements for fliers present limiting conditions which are of major importance from the standpoint of design and material to be used. Among other things, consideration must be given to weight, bearing, balance, tensile strength, resistance to heat, water and/or moisture resistance and ruggedness. My investigations and research in connection with the development of the molded plastic flier block of the present invention, indicates that a highly polymerized reaction product of a polyamide and a di-b'a'sic acid, possesses substantially all of the desirable properties for use as flier block material. A polymeric molding powder of this type; or in granular form, is adapted for standard operations of extrusion compression and injection molding. Fine tolerances may be maintained due to the ability of this material to be injected in thin sections and to flow around irregular-shaped inserts. In accordance with the present invention, I provide a unitary molded block characterized by homogeneity of material.

Referring to the drawings, and more particuiarly to Fig. i, there is shown a flier arrangement associated with a bobbin I, mounted in operative position on a suitable spindle 2, of a conventional Winding machine. a head member 3, and a centrally recessed portion 3, adapted to receive a ferrule 5, having an aperture 23 through which the foot of the flier is inserted.

The flier block, Figs. 1 and 6, designated gener-- ally by numeral 7, comprises a centrally apertured body member 8, having a base portion 9 and a head portion 50. The base is formed with an offset foot I l, and between the base and head portions, there is provided a peripheral flange [2,

which functions to balance the off-set foot, and to retain a flier wire as will be explained more fully hereinafter.

Formed on the body of the block, in the vicinity of the head portion 10, is a flier wire support member i3, comprising symmetrically shaped portions 54 extending outwardly from the block. Portions M are of substantially uniform thickness and of equal length from the center of the spindle receiving aperture i5. At each end it of the flier wire support there is provided a downwardly extending portion ll, having recesses or slots is formed therein, adapted to receive the arms of a flier wire.

The flier wires designed for use with the block of the present invention are of the Dre-formed type, that is to say, a wire formed with a central arcuate shaped block engaging section having arms extending outwardly therefrom. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a pair of ore-formed wires are used. It will be noted that the central substantially semi-circular block engaging section 19 of each wire fits snugly against the block and that portions of the arms 20 seat in recesses l8. It will be further noted that the arms 20 overlap as at 2 I. By means of this arrangement the flier wires may be quickly and easily attached to the flier block without use of special tools brother implements.

An important feature of the above-described arrangement, in addition to the ease with which the wires can be applied or removed from the support 13, is that the flier wires are maintained in desired operative position whereby undesirable The bobbin is provided with flexing of the flier wires about their points of support is prevented.

Due to the fact that the operative speed of a flier block is in the neighborhood of 9,000 R. P. M.-12,000 R. P. M., it will be appreciated that if the block is not properly balanced, considerable difference in tension on the yarn is produced. Accordingly, with my improved molded block, means are provided to effectively balance out centrifugal forces generated when the block is rotated, thereby providing a substantially uniform tension on the yarn. The desired uniform tension is obtained, with the present block, by forming peripheral flange l2 with an enlarged portion 2-2 (Figs. 1 and 5), extending outwardly in a direction opposite the off-set foot I I. By this means, centrifugal forces generated by the foot, when the block is rotated, are balanced by counter centrifugal forces of substantially equal magnitude, thus affording uniform tension on the yarn.

it will be observed that the flange 12 serves a double function; it acts as 'a flier wire retaining means and "as a balance for the foot. Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, it will be'noted that the flange !2 defines, with the flier wire support 1 3, a flier wire receiving groove 2%, adapted to receive the central block engaging section of a flier wire.

The molded plastic flier block of the present invention possesses many "advantages not found in conventional prior art devices. It presents pleasing and attractive appearance and since the block is molded in one piece, there are no rough edges or other irregular sharp surfaces which might injure an operators hands; no machining is necessary, as with metal blocks, with resultant economies in manufacture; homogeneity of materia-l of the molded block enables better distribution of weight with resultant desired balance; the blocks do not require lubrication. of any kind, "and due to its unitary construction the difiiculties usually encountered in assembling and maintaining conventional multi-part flier blocks are eliminated.

While reference is made herein to certain types of plastics which have been found satisfactory as a material from which a flier block may be molded, other plastics having the required desired properties may "be used. The invention in its broadest aspect is the provision of a unitary mold-- ed plastic flier block.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the -precise details of construction herein set forth, by way of 'illustra'tionas is apparent that many changes and variations may be made therein, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A balanced unitary molded plastic iiier block comprising a centrally apertured body member having an off-set foot adapted for insertion into the head of a bobbin, and a peripheral flange on the 'body member having an enlarged portion in a direction opposite the foot, whereby to balance centrifugal forces generated by said foot when the block is rotated.

2. A balanced unitary molded plastic flier block comprising a centrally apertured body member having base and. head .portions,.said'base ha an off-set foot adapted'for insertion into the head of a bobbin, and a peripheral flange between the base and head portions, said flange being enlarged comprising a centrally apertured body member having base and head portions, said base having an off-set foot adapted for insertion into the head of a bobbin, a flier wire support member between the base and head portions, and a peripheral flange between the base of the block and the flier wire support, defining a flier wire receiving groove between the flange and the support, said flange being enlarged in a direction opposite the olT-set foot, whereby to balance centrifugal forces generated by said foot when the block is rotated.

4. A balanced unitary molded plastic flier for spinning machines and the like, comprising a centrally apertured body having base and head portions, said base having an off-set foot adapted for insertion into the head of a bobbin, a flier wire support member between the base and head portions, each of the free ends of said support having a recess therein adapted to receive an arm of a flier wire, a peripheral flange between the base of the block and the flier wire support, defining a flier wire receiving groove between the flange and the flier wire support, said flange having an enlarged portion in a direction opposite the ofi-set foot, whereby to balance centrifugal forces generated by said foot when the block is rotated, and a flier wire having a central block engaging section seated in said groove, portions of the arms of the wire being seated in the recesses at the ends of the flier wire support.

5. A balanced unitary molded plastic flier for spinning machines and the like, comprising a centrally apertured body having base and head portions, said base having an off-set foot adapted for insertion into the head of a bobbin, a flier wire support member between the base and head portions, said support having a downwardly extending portion at each end thereof, each of said portions having a slot formed therein adapted to receive an arm of a flier wire, a peripheral flange between the base of the block and the flier wire support, defining a flier wire receiving groove between the flange and the flier wire support, said flange having an enlarged portion in a direction opposite the ofi-set foot, whereby to balance centrifugal forces generated by said foot when the block is rotated, and a flier wire having a central block engaging section seated in said groove, portions of the arms of the wire being seated in the slots formed in the downwardly extending portions at the ends of the flier wire support.

6. A balanced unitary moldedplasti-c flier for spinning machines and the like, comprising a centrally apertured body having base and head portions, said base having an off-set foot adapted for insertion into the head of a bobbin, a flier wire support member between the base and head portions, said support having a downwardly extending portion at each end thereof, each of said portions having a recess therein adapted to receive an arm of a flier wire, a peripheral flange between the base of the block and the flier wire support, defining a flier wire receiving groove between the flange and the flier wire support, said flange having an enlarged portion in a direction opposite the off-set foot, whereby to balance centrifugal forces generated by said foot when the block is rotated, and a pair of flier wires having their central block engaging sections seated in said groove on opposite sides of the block, the arms of the flier wires overlapping in the vicinity of the body of the block, portions of said arms of the flier wires being seated in the recesses at the ends of the flier wire support.

7. A balanced unitary molded plastic flier for spinning machines and the like, comprising a centrally apertured body having base and head portions, said base having an off-set foot adapted for insertion into the head of a bobbin, a flier wire support member between the base and head portions, said support having a downwardly extending portion at each end thereof, each of said portions being co-extensive with the width of the support in the vicinity of its ends and having an inwardly extending slot parallel to the plane of said support adapted to receive an arm of a flier wire, a peripheral flange between the base of the block and the flier wire support, defining a flier wire receiving groove between the flange and the flier wire support, said flange having an enlarged portion in a direction opposite the off-set foot, whereby to balance centrifugal forces generated by said foot when the block is rotated, and a flier wire having a central block engaging section seated in said groove, portions of the arms of the wire being seated in the slots formed in the downwardly extending portions at the ends of the flier wire support.

8. A balanced unitary molded plastic flier for spinning machines and the like, comprising a centrally apertured body having base and head portions, said base having an oiT-set foot adapted for insertion into the head of a bobbin, a flier wire support member between the base and head portions, said support having a downwardly extending portion at each end thereof, each of said portions being co-extensive with the width of the support in the vicinity of its ends and having an inwardly extending slot parallel to the plane of said support, adapted to receive an arm of a flier wire, a peripheral flange between the base of the block and the flier wire support, defining a flier wire receiving groove between the flange and the flier wire support, said flange having an enlarged portion in a direction opposite the off-set foot, whereby to balance centrifugal forces generated by said foot when the block is rotated, and a pair of flier wires having their central block engaging sections seated in said groove on opposite sides of the block, the arms of the flier wires overlapping in the vicinity of the body of the block, portions of said arms of the flier wires being seated in the recesses at the ends of the flier wire support.

MICHAEL J. McHALE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,497,732 Medernach June 17, 1924 1,590,387 Lawton June 29, 1926 1,827,161 McHale Oct. 13, 1931 1,985,666 Munscn Dec. 25, 1934 

